Bringing Home Danny (9 page)

It was embarrassing to be lectured at across a crowded room, but Danny nodded his head before waving him off. TJ lost sight of Danny as he maneuvered through the crowd, and shook his head in worry.

“
Who was that?” TJ friend Darren asked.
 

“
Some kid named Dan.”
 

“
What's he doing here? He seems young.”
 

TJ nodded his head in agreement. “He came here with some friends.”

“
Oh, for a minute there I thought you were going to pop his cherry.”
 

Normally, TJ would have laughed along at his friend's crude comment, but he felt the need to defend the boy, and he didn't like the type of attention he was attracting. “I'm not interested in popping anybody's cheery, especially a teenager's. Besides, I'm committed.”

“
You should be committed, to let that little hottie slip between your fingers.”
 

 
TJ was annoyed by the way his friend was leering after Danny. “Leave him alone, he's too young for you.”
 

“
Maybe, but I noticed it didn't stop you from checking out his tight little ass as he walked across the room.”
 

“
Nothing stopping me from looking. Anyways, someone has to keep an eye on him. There are way too many perverts around here.”
 

“
Present company included I hope.”
 

TJ laughed, but was even more determined to watch out for his enchanting little kisser.

*****

“
There you are, Dan. Here, have a drink,” Greg said, handing him a loaded
cocktail.
 

“
No, thanks. Are we leaving soon?”
 

“
No, not yet. Not until we have a few more drinks. The night's still young. Here, lighten-up,” he said, shoving the drink in Danny's hand.
 

Danny took a cautious sip to placate him.

“
Where have you been?” Greg asked, draping a heavy arm over the boy's shoulder.
 

“
Talking to TJ.”
 

“
Looked to me like you were doing more than talking,” his roommate, Carl, announced from behind.
 

 
Danny took another sip and remained silent.
 

“
What do you mean?” Greg asked.
 

“
Apparently our new roomie here swings the other way."
 

“
Is that a fact? No wonder he wasn't interested in Ashley. Dan, if I had known you liked it up the ass, I could have obliged you much sooner,” Greg said, with a malicious chortle.
 

Stunned speechless, Danny stared, unsure of what to say or think. He was quickly reassessing his situation. He hadn't wanted to come to this party in the first place. It was Greg who insisted that Danny come along and meet some of his other friends.

Greg was several years older, and had always been good to him at work. He and Carl offered to let Danny crash at their place when he needed a place to stay. Technically, he wasn't a real roommate, as he didn't have a room. He was staying with them temporarily, sleeping on the couch until he could save enough money to get a place of his own. Only, it was hard to save up when he didn't make much money. Although he didn't pay rent, he contributed to the household budget as often as he could. He was thankful for a place to stay. Even though he felt underfoot at times, they weren't rushing him to get out.

He hadn't been living with the two men very long so he didn't know them all that well. Seeing his roommates plastered he thought,
Crap! What am I going to do now?
Drunk and belligerent, Danny wasn't sure how to take them. Having experience with drunks, he knew enough to lay low until they slept it off. If lucky, they wouldn't remember what happened the next morning. Unfortunately, he didn't have much prior knowledge about his roommates' drinking patterns. He didn't know if they were they being serious, or if they were angry, or if they were just seriously angry drunks. Would they hate him if he were gay? Would they hurt him? These were questions Danny couldn't get answers for. He couldn't think straight. His thoughts wouldn't stay in focus. He soon realized his thoughts weren't the only thing he couldn't keep in focus. His vision blurred, and the more he blinked the more out of focus things became.
Is the room swaying or am I?
 

“
Whoa, kid! Let me help you before you fall.”
 

Danny could hear the room laughing at him. He felt a large hand grip his arm. It didn't steady him, but it kept him from falling. Another hand yanked his other arm, and he could feel himself being dragged in a direction he had no control over.

“
There's an empty room down the hall. Let's get him in there before he passes out.”
 

The voice and the menacing laugh that followed he recognized as Greg's. Danny instinctively knew he did not want to go into that room. His mind yelled,
STOP!
His body wouldn't cooperate.

“
This way, kid, time for a roommate initiation.”
 

More laughter.

Danny felt himself being pinned down against a bed.
How did I get here,
he vaguely wondered. His body seemed to be moving without benefit of free will.

“
So, you like cock do you?” Carl mocked.
 

“
Good thing for you, you're pretty enough to fuck,” Greg taunted.
 

Fuck,
was he paralyzed with fear, or just plain paralyzed? Unfortunately, Danny was conscious enough to know he was in a room with his two roommates along with few other drunks, and he was completely defenseless. The smell of hot putrid alcohol infested breath smothered his face and penetrated his senses. Danny felt his stomach convulse; he thought he was going to be sick. He turned his face in time to feel wet slobbering lips descend upon his cheek. A tongue licked his jawline.

“
Aw, don't play hard to get now. Give me one of those sexy kisses.”
 

Danny tried to hurl himself off the bed, but was immediately pushed back into the mattress. Someone was holding his arms over his head. Carl straddled him and bent down to attempt another kiss. Danny turned his head in the other direction. Carl grabbed Danny's face squeezing it hard between his fingers, and roughly forced a kiss upon his mouth, causing their teeth to clash. Danny fought to get away from the punishing kiss by jerking his face back and forth. The tussle excited Carl, and he backhanded Danny across the mouth. He leaned in savagely to lick the blood from Danny's mouth.

“
Now, now, don't be like that. I haven't been with a woman in over a week, and you're pretty enough to pass. Hell, you're even prettier than my last girlfriend.”
 

Danny squeezed his eyes shut to close out the world.

“
Stop sweet talking him, Carl, and help me get his pants off.”
 

More laughter echoed through Danny’s head. He felt something wet drip down his face, and he wondered if he was crying.

“
Be patient, Greg, you can't rush a first time.”
 

Carl slowly lifted Danny's shirt and began to caress his chest. Danny was trapped. He couldn't free himself as he felt fingers pinching his nipple, followed by a bite. Finally, Danny cried out, or at least he thought he did. Hands further down unbuttoned his pants and pulled down his zipper. Probing fingers reached inside the slit of his boxers and took hold.

A moment of clarity tore through Danny's panic. He kicked out wildly, yelling, “Fuck you!”

“
If you don't mind, we'd prefer to fuck you instead,” Greg snickered.
 

More laughter exploded through the room along with demands to hold his legs and turn him over. Danny was able to jerk a hand free. He swung out in full force without any real direction. He made contact with a shoulder and felt his feet jerk free of the restraining hands.

“
Get the little fucker!”
 

More sets of hands came into play and Danny was easily turned over. His lack of free will was not only an internal struggle as his body was physically overpowered. Danny was helpless as fear and rage coursed through him without benefit of release. His head throbbed in and out of consciousness. A wave of bile rose up from the pit of his stomach when he felt a hand dip down into the seat of his pants and rest between his crack. His chest was crushed against the mattress making it difficult for him to breathe. It occurred to him that he might choke on his own puke. As he felt his pants being yanked down, he prayed that he would pass out so he would not have to experience the humiliation of being raped.

*****

TJ was searching the house for his new young friend and was disappointed when he couldn't find him. He was hoping he would at least get a chance to say goodbye. When he couldn't locate Danny's roommates either, he figured they must have left.

He found his buddy Emmett and asked accusingly, “You didn't let them leave did you?”

“
Who?”
 

“
You know, Danny and his friends. Not one of them was fit to drive.”
 

“
No, Dan was a bit drunk. I think they were taking him to a room to sleep it off.”
 

“
Oh? Where?” TJ couldn't shake his bad feeling and went to go check on him.
 

“
Hold on, I'll go with you. It's my house. If anyone dies of alcohol poisoning, I should know about it.”
 

As they got closer to the room located toward the back of the first floor, they heard what sounded like a drunken brawl accompanied by hoots and titters of amusement. TJ swung the door open, and felt a murderous rage sweep over him. “GET THE FUCK OFF HIM!” he screamed.

A group of men immediately stood up staring at the door, mouths hung open in surprise. The tallest one, the one TJ knew as the brother of the bride, regained his composure quickly, and said with a pompous
smirk, “Don't worry, there's plenty to go around.”

TJ's fist connected with his jaw before he had a chance to wipe the sick smile from his face.

Emmett burst in the room behind TJ. “Get the hell out of my house!”

“
Holy shit!” someone screamed, after watching Greg crash to the floor. The shouts brought partygoers to the room, some to offer assistance, others out of curiosity. Not satisfied with flooring one asshole, TJ was ready to take on the whole lot.
 

“
Get the fuck out of my house or I'll call the cops,” Emmett repeated.
 

Recognizing defeat, Danny's attackers decided to cut their losses, and hightailed it out of the room. The only thing keeping TJ from chasing them down and beating the shit out of each one of them, was the image of Danny trying to pull up his pants while he half crawled and half fell off the side of the bed. TJ reached him as he was clutching his stomach trying not to vomit.

“
Help me get him to the bathroom,” TJ urged his friend, “he's gonna punk.”
 

Danny didn't think his life could get any worse. He almost wished he wasn't rescued so people wouldn't see him like this, especially TJ. Once again he found himself being led by two men without his consent, heading in an unknown direction. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this time the intention was to help and not harm, but it didn't make him feel any less vulnerable. When they reached the bathroom, TJ eased Danny to the floor facing the toilet. As he gripped the side of the commode, Danny's stomach muscles contracted, and he painfully dry heaved three consecutive times.

“
Take it easy, kid,” TJ soothed, as he rubbed his back. “You're all right.”
 

On his fourth try, Danny violently up chucked all the toxins, alcohol, and the small amount of food he had that day.

Emmett was hovering with worry outside the bathroom entrance. “Is he going to be okay?”

“
Yeah, I got him,” TJ assured. “Why don't you close the door and give us some privacy?”
 

“
Are you sure?”
 

“
Yes, I'm sure. I'll let you know if I need any help.”
 

“
Whatever you say, man. I'm going to go and make sure those fuckers left the premises.”
 

TJ stood up to get a wet washcloth as Emmett closed the door behind him. He used it to cool down Danny's forehead, neck, and face. Danny tried to take the washcloth from TJ to clean himself off, but his hands were too shaky. TJ rinsed the cloth, and then gently wiped away the sick from his bruised and swollen mouth. When TJ was done, Danny wanted to say thank you, but the lump in his throat prevented him from getting the words out. Seeing Danny struggle, TJ sank to his knees, put his arms around him, and tugged him up against his chest. He then leaned against the wall for support. The tender gesture providing both comfort and strength broke what little reserve Danny had. He buried his face into TJ's chest and cried.

“
Shush, baby. It's okay, I got you.”
 

Danny couldn't remember the last time he cried openly, and now he was afraid he would never stop. TJ's heart broke at hearing him cry. It was deep gut wrenching sobs that seemed to reach the depths of his soul. Danny cried for the loss of dignity he felt at the hands of his attackers. He cried at the sense of betrayal, and his own stupidity for trusting others. He cried because he was once again homeless, and didn't have a family to turn to. He cried for the man he wasn't quite ready to be, and the boy he no longer was. He cried out in fear for his future, and the pain of his childhood. But, mostly, he cried for the shattered confidence he was tenuously trying to build while being on his own. The near rape signified for him how powerless and out of control he felt every day of his life.